The Burden of Hope
by WalkerOfVoids
Summary: Finding his conscious after what could be years of rest, a lone pony is left to learn about the fate of his home. Required to face allies and adversaries alike, the pony is forced to contend with a world he does not yet understand. Chapter 3 released!
1. Prologue

His eyes opened.

It was only then when he recognised the cold which permeated through the jacket and armour that he wore, even through his grey fur. The snow settled on his prone and weak body, as with incredible effort he attempted to lift his head from out of the thick mantle of snow that covered him almost like a full-body cast. His eyes seemed odd to him?

One saw only white. The second only black.

He blinked a few times in desperation. But it didn't change a thing, and within a while half of his head throbbed with intense pain. The stallion closed his eyes, as he attempted to wrestle himself from out of the snow. As he closed his eyes, the pain subsided almost immediately… something he didn't quite understand, was it because he had not seen the light for what possibly could have been days?

He didn't know.

Opening both of his eyes, pain immediately set within his head once more. The pony thought for only a moment, before he tried opening one eye at once. His right eye surged with pain as the stallion stifled a sharp breath, as he slowly opened his left.

No pain.

He didn't understand.

The stallion kept his left eye open as he kept his right eye shut as he drew in slow though paced breaths. He then quickly focused his attention to the snow mound that trapped him, as he tried to move his legs. The stallion quickly determined that they could not move, which he figured was because of the snow. He frantically attempted to break free at this point, each movement and attempt yielding no result. The stallion pulled whatever strength he could as he continued to struggle, knowing very well that if we were to remain trapped: he would die there. Suddenly a creeping and cold sensation ran up his legs and through his body, as it crawled up through his chest as the stallion gasped in fear.

There was a bright flash of a colour that the stallion could not yet describe, as all the snow that had trapped him warped out of existence. He was standing, though his legs trembled with a certain fright. The stallion pulled in desperate breaths and breathed out fear, as he glanced around the scene. The stallion looked down at his body before his eye made out that he had been wearing a heavy and warm coat: battered and rusted from what looked to be years of weathering and abuse.

Years? If he had been there for years, he would have been dead.

The stallion corrected his thoughts: he needed to focus on his injured eye. Then he needed to figure out where he was and find somewhere better to be.

Reaching with his mouth, the stallion tore off a line from off the coat before he used his hooves to tie the makeshift eye patch over his right eye. As his hooves approached his head, the temperature around his head seemed to drop drastically before he had to drop them back to the snow, as he stared down at them… and noticed a 'vapour' rising from the bottom of his hoof that was purplish in colour. It immediately startled him, the stallion believing that it was something he was standing on as he jumped back. The vapour followed him as it swirled and tightened around his legs, the stallion calling out in shock as he tried to shake off the strange thing to no avail. Eventually, the shaking and startled pony looked at his legs and hooves before he gathered enough courage to lift them off the ground to look at the bottoms.

He saw the stars and the infinite. The stallion didn't understand, this made no sense. Why would the stars be painted on the bottom of his hooves?

The stallion stared at the strange energy that gathered and swirled around his hooves, had he walked upon the night sky?

The stallion shook his head, he couldn't be thinking about that now. He turned his head, and saw a magnificent spire of light that dominated the northern sky. The stallion felt an urge to immediately step toward the light: the stars that danced in the sky above the spire that appeared to him to be some cosmic tree.

_Stay…_

The stallion jumped in fright as the rasp though commanding voice echoed through his ears, it's dangerous allure drawing his attention to the southern skies. What he saw was nothing more than the black depths: lacking the light. It seemed to seem like the bottoms of the deepest ocean: unknown.

_There is nothing for you there…_

The stallion shook his head, before he swung his head back to the north as he made his first steps in the way of the light. He wouldn't listen to the voice that was demanding he turn and fall into the black. He needed to know what this cosmic tree was, he needed to find freedom from a prison he felt but did not understand.


	2. Chapter 1

The stallion had been walking for what perhaps could have been hours or even days, he couldn't tell as the sky had remained a stark black night that was sprinkled with few stars. The tiredness that crept along his very being had at several points lead him to believe that he must stop and rest, but the stallion couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed and that if he did stop: he would be attacked.

The snow beat upon his body in torrential gusts from time to time. Sometimes there wasn't a whisper in the air, but in random and violent bursts he would be covered and caused to break into a violent shiver.

The stallion started to wonder whether or not he was in some afterlife. After all, there was no living thing for as far as the eye could see other than himself… but why then would he feel as if he was being followed?

The stallion shook his head as he continued to press on through the wasteland, his hoofprints leaving a long trail from where he started to where he was walking now. Restless and constant questions bounced around his head as these whispers occupied every space in his mind. He shook his head again, he couldn't focus on those. The stallions eyes traced up the spire that branched out and reached into the sky: his sole beacon of hope.

He continued his trek across the landscape. The stallion suddenly stopped, as something tugged at his senses and led his fur to stand upright. His ears fanned around as he quickly glanced around, using his sole eye to try to spot out something he couldn't confirm existed. He couldn't bring his legs to move, as instead it seemed as if he should take the defensive position.

Defensive position? How did he know what that was?

Suddenly there was a low growl, as the stallion's head immediately spun around. His eye scanned quickly over the 'animal,' before a silent terror tore around his now vacant mind. The beast stood upon stalky-wood legs with a body that appeared to have been made of several shards of petrified wood as green eyes burned inside of a head that looked too eerily similar to a wolf's. Within seconds, this beast was flanked by three other animals before the creatures reared up their heads and howling a blood-curdling screech.

The creatures began to charge the lone pony, as he lowered into a lunging position. His eye danced around between the shapes that were charging him, before his legs were released and he could find movement once more. The stallion immediately started charging toward these 'wolves,' his mind tuning itself like a fine instrument before he launched himself into the air.

The heads of the 'wolves' traced him, as the purplish energy surrounded him once more as the stallion watched the light intensify and swirl at the bottoms of his hooves. Suddenly, the strange cold energy burst from his hooves as the purple consumed and exploded the wooden frame of one of the beasts before the stallion landed and rolled across the snow. The three other creatures turned and faced him with eyes that burned for a lack of empathy for what befell their comrade.

The creatures roared again as the stallion's legs locked in place, restricting his movements arbitrarily again. The cold of the energy he utilised bit at his being as he panted out exhausted breaths. His once empowered and fearless mind was overtaken by the concerns and terror that occupied his head not even but few seconds before.

Why would this strange power abandon him right after it proved itself?

One of the creatures lunged at him, as the purplish energy danced around his being once again as if it were a barrier and shield this time. The stallion flinched as he turned his head away, not willing to stare death in the eyes again before he heard a second and unexpected sound… or rather, a voice.

"Get on the ground!"

The stallion's legs complied as he fell to a prone position on the floor, as suddenly a blurred shape slammed into the wooden body of the 'wolf.' It shattered immediately, as the green lights that once burned intensely in it's head faded and died. The stallion whipped his head to the strange thing that saved him, noticing that it was a pony much like himself: but she had wings.

The mare stood immediately upright, as she looked defiantly into the eyes of the remaining 'wolves' that stood against her. Suddenly three other winged ponies slammed into the snowy ground in front of the prone stallion, as they fanned their wings and exaggerated each feather that lined their impressive shapes. The two other 'wolves' stared, but they did not stare at the ones that came to stand against them… but the stallion knew and felt that their cruel and oppressive gaze focused on him and him alone.

The 'wolves' backed away, before they turned and scattered away from the place they sought to make a killing.

A perfect silence settled on the place where there was once roaring and yelling, and remained there for a few moments before the slow and quiet whisper of the wind brushed against the ears of the five ponies that remained at the scene.

The first pegasus offered a brief though welcomed chuckle, before she turned around to look at those who followed her. They all looked to her as one wrapped his wing around his torso and bowed, before he offered a quick quip: "Our foes have been vanquished as commanded, your majesty!"

"Keep talking like that and I'll be expecting a crown!" The lead pegasus responded as there was a sudden chorus of laughter among the ranks. She then turned her attention to the stallion who still lay prone on the ground, as she turned and made a slow and friendly approach to the one she came to defend. When the stallion looked at her, he quickly saw the white armour that she wore atop her well-kept purple mane and her brilliant blue eyes.

She lowered her head to be level with his, as her smile soon stiffened into a concerned look: "Are you alright, guardsman?"

The stallion stayed silent, before he looked away from her.

"Where is your team?" She said, only being greeted by silence. She waited for a moment as she continued to look at the stallion, before she sighed: "Can you hear me? Can you talk?"

"I can."

His voice surprised the mare as much as it surprised the stallion. The stallion didn't know why he just said that, it seemed to him that he couldn't or at least didn't know-didn't remember-how to. The mare smiled, before she offered her hoof to the stallion. He could feel a sudden strength return to him, as he took her hoof as she helped lift him up to his hooves. He stared at her with some surprise, something that obviously she caught on to.

"What?" She asked, "You thought you were the only pony around here?"

"I…" The stallion offered, before he sputtered out.

"You don't remember…"

The stallion was surprised by what she said, as she continued: "None of us remembered who we are… I'm sorry, I just thought you were a part of some squad that got torn up by timberwolves. Have you thought of a name for yourself?"

"Thought of a name?" The stallion asked. It seemed odd to him for whatever reason that he was the one who chose his name, but he pushed that thought aside as he continued: "N-no. I haven't."

"You better think of one before the Lord General finds out," the pegasus chuckled, "he'll never let you live that down! I'm Skyrunner, and this is: Fixed Wing, Spinner and our beloved cheerleader: First Flight… y'know, 'the reason we encourage everyone to select their name before Proud Defender finds them."

"I'm proud of it!" First Flight cried, "Selected by the Lord General himself!"

"Don't lie," Skyrunner laughed, "it only makes us all the more suspicious!"

"Why don't you remember your names?" The stallion asked.

A sudden silence fell upon the pegasi who rescued him. They stood there in some solemn and awful sorrow, as immediately the smiles and the laughs they shared froze and faded away. The stallion felt as if he had just tore joy away from ponies that needed to relish it. _Needed._ He lowered his head as a guilty and repentant foal would, as he closed his eye in regret for what he had said.

"Don't feel bad…" Skyrunner sighed, "we need to return to Grad: the only place we can find refuge nowadays."

"Grad, is that-"

"Where the giant Christmas tree is?" Skyrunner completed loosely, "Yeah. That is where it is. It's a short fly, but a bit further a walk. We'll accompany you! Y'know, to keep you safe from anymore timberwolves?"

"That would be appreciated."

Skyrunner smiled once again when the stallion said this, before she gestured to the three other pegasi as she pointed a hoof in the direction of 'Grad,' the 'giant Christmas tree.' The pegasi immediately bowed, as they replaced their wings to their sides as the armour they wore clinked and the coats they wore fluttered. She then turned back to the stallion before she responded with a positive and trusting smile.

"Then we ride!" Skyrunner exclaimed.


	3. Chapter 2

"As easy as that?"

"As easy as that!" Skyrunner laughed, "We then ran with it! Oh, they were so furious!"

"I'd imagine." The stallion replied as he walked along with the rest of the ponies as they made their way to Grad. The wall of black that seemed once to be nothing more than a line, once grew to encompass half of the horizon. Now that the group approached, the light that emanated from the spire consumed the northern sphere. It seemed to be as bright as the midday sun: a beacon and obvious symbol for hope and comfort.

And he understood why: he was drawn to it himself.

"So," the stallion thought aloud, "this is Grad?"

"It sure is!" First Flight responded, "The Star of the Unknown!"

"The Unknown?" The stallion asked, before he shook his head: "... nevermind. Who built the wall?"

"With any luck," Skyrunner responded with a tilted head, "we'll be meeting him sometime soon."

The stallion only nodded his head in acknowledgement, not certain specifically how to respond. He quietly marvelled over the size of the structure which only grew with each step, as a question echoed over his already question-filled mind. If these ponies were only dealing with creatures like timberwolves, then why would such a massive structure be necessary? It had to be that there were much more dangerous animals that needed to be kept at bay.

But it seemed odd to him that there was a wall there, it seemed as if it shouldn't be there. In fact, he remembered…

Remembered? The stallion had never been there before. How could he have known?

Soon enough, the ponies stopped in front of the direct coast that lay between them and the massive wall. It was only then that the stallion could make out the impressive details and imprints that lined the wall, almost as if they were badges of prior victories. He awed over the scale of the structure which seemed to reach high into the sky. The wall donned several holes in the wall, which seemed to be lined with cannons or spotlights which gave the appearance that this was more than some simple wall: it was a fortress.

The stallion could feel his jaw drop, but the stallion maintained his pride and instead exhaled agast: "This place is massive!"

"Why is that the first thing everypony says?" Skyrunner chuckled before she lifted her hoof and nudged the stallion with it. "Look! There is the First Line!"

Glancing around, the stallion made out the faint shapes of several creatures that approached. He could easily make out the shapes of a few ponies: those of earth, a pegasus and a unicorn. But then there were shapes he slightly recognised: a griffon? A yak? Something reminded him of those peoples, but he did not specifically understand why. Should he ask about it? He shook away that thought.

"First Line?" The stallion asked, "Another strange name?"

"They're the 'First Line of defence.' Protectors of the Wall, the ones that helped the Lord General build this beauty. They are some of the best of the best." Skyrunner responded.

"Some of the best of the best?" The stallion asked.

"Well…" the mare paused, "nothing beats the Knights! The greatest fliers and strike teams of all of Grad! We were the ones who assisted the Lord General in his crusades against the Storms!"

"Seems as if the Lord General is involved in everything great…" The stallion thought out loud.

"You'll see! I understand how weird it seems, but he isn't the only one whose name is proclaimed throughout these lands… but he is the first one to help to establish our defence and cement Grad as a beacon of hope. And he is the first one you'll be meeting."

"Ho! Who goes there!" A sudden booming voice announced from about half-way up the wall. Two bright lights immediately flashed on, nearly blinding the group of ponies that were approaching the walls as the stallion looked up to the figures that were now even more blurred from behind the lights. He threw up his hoof in the way of the light to rest his eye, as he glanced around to the pegasi who accompanied him.

"It's Skyrunner, of the First Banner Patrol!" Skyrunner announced.

"Thought you had wings, Knight Skyrunner!" The voice jeered from behind the light, "Whose with you?"

"Somepony who just woke up!"

"_Just _woke up?" The voice questioned, before being followed by a long and unsettling pause. After a few seconds of awful silence, the voice returned with: "It's been two years since the last!"

The stallion's blood immediately went cold: it was something he was worried about. Years. It meant to him that there was only one possibility: he had been dead. Nopony and nothing would have survived being trapped in the snow that long, and even if he had been hanging on to life by just a thread he wouldn't have been able to spring back to activity as he did. The stallion stared up at the light now as he wondered how it was possible.

"It was a long nap?" First Flight offered.

"Yeah, sure it was…" the voice responded cooly, "we'll open the gate! As soon as it is open, enter through and wait! I'm certain the Lord General will want to see this one personally!"

The stallion swallowed when this was said, as he glanced nervously toward Skyrunner. The mare looked back and offered a comforting smile, before she started to walk forward to where the gate presumably was. The other pegasi followed her, as the stallion eventually was forced to take hesitant steps toward the wall. He didn't know what would happen when he entered the wall and sure he trusted these 'Knights,' but what were the others like?

Soon there were flashing yellow lights before a small segment of the wall started to pull apart as another group of armoured creatures stepped out from out of the gate. The individual that appeared to lead this group was a griffin who wore heavy armour that bore intricate details, as she came to a pause just outside the gate.

Skyrunner stopped just in front of the griffin as she lifted a hoof to offer what appeared to be her comrade. The griffin seized it before the two pulled together in some sort of 'hug,' as the griffin smiled and spoke: "Wasn't expecting you to approach on the ground! Finally got tired of flying?"

"Our new friend can't fly," Skyrunner responded, "figured we would be nice for a change."

"That is one way to put it…" the griffin responded, before she bowed respectfully in the direction of the stallion: "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Snowstorm, an Arbitress of the Iron Order… I'm on gate-duty today, but generally I'm in the clouds with Skyrunner and the others here. Have you decided on your name, yet?"

Taken aback by the naming convention and the introduction of new titles, the stallion stayed quiet for a moment before he responded to Snowstorm: "Thank you, and… no. I haven't."

"Better decide on one, before the Lord General gets to you!"

"It isn't that bad!" First Flight exclaimed, before there was a laugh within the rest of the group that only confused the stallion. He understood it was all a joke, but within the context that the Lord General was a hero? It seemed all so odd to him.

And arbitress? The Iron Order?

Questions only led to more questions the stallion found, and so he figured he could ask any of the peoples he met so far. The stallion walked forward with the others inside the facility as the gate behind the group sealed, and within a few moments the area lit up with an intense light that nearly blinded the stallion again… but as the stallion's eye adjusted to the level of the light, as his jaw dropped again.

The marvelous scale of the interior of the Wall was a complicated web of walkways and barracks, banners and flags. There easily within view a few hundred ponies, griffons and other peoples within view. The stallion wondered whether what he was seeing was a fair sample of the extent of the forces of Grad, as he walked with the rest of the group. The stallion caught on that Snowstom was watching him very carefully, as she asked: "Impressive, eh?"

"How long did it take you all to build this place?" The stallion asked.

"Just two years." Snowstorm responded, "When the Lord General took charge of the defence of Grad, this was his vision for the defence: an installation that could defend all of Grad from our mutual enemy."

"The timberwolves?"

Snowstorm simply laughed which surprised the stallion, "Oh, you poor innocent colt if you think that timberwolves are our only problem!"

"Snowstorm!" Skyrunner called out, "You forgetting what was the first thing you ran tail-between-legs from?"

Snowstorm's ears instantly flattened as she responded: "We don't talk about that!"

Within a minute, the group was stopped by yet another gate complex as guards wearing red greatcoats scanned over them. The head of this group was a unicorn, as he held his head high as his eyes glanced down at the stallion below. He blinked once before he gestured toward two other guards that appeared to control the mechanisms of the gates as they immediately stood attentive to what he had to say.

"Attention!" The unicorn cried out, as the group that attended to the stallion immediately snapped to attention: "The Lord General has been notified about our newcomer and should be here shortly! Arbitress Snowstorm, Knight Skyrunner! You will attend our guest until further notice; the rest will head for unit debrief! Am I understood?"

"Loud and clear, staff!" The group responded unanimously.

"That'll not be necessary, staff!" A sudden and commanding voice boomed from behind the unicorn in the greatcoat. The stallion looked around as Skyrunner and Snowstorm immediately stood upright and offered quick and stiff salutes. They were followed by the rest, as an imposing shape walked past the guards above. The stallion felt as if his heart skipped a beat as he finally saw who he only assumed was the notorious: 'Lord General.'

He was an earth pony who stood at an impressive size. It seemed to the stallion that the earth pony stood two heads taller than the unicorn he stood right beside. His legs seemed to be as thick as tree trunks, as he wore a large and impressive armour that looked as if it belonged on a tank. Set between within his helmet were two bright blue eyes and a short though well-groomed black beard that seemed to fade into the fur collar that looked more like a lion's mane. This pony was an army in and of himself.

"Lord General-" The staff sputtered, before the Lord General hushed him as he would a foal.

"Tsk, tsk! Staff I'd thought better of you!" The Lord General chuckled, "You're scaring the newbie, aren't ya?"

The unicorn remained silent as the Lord General turned his head and attention to the group below him. He offered a smile, before he spoke: "Looking like boards, you all are! So, I heard there was some lad that just barely woke up?"

"That'd be me, sir-" The stallion started.

"Not _sir_, here!" The Lord General interrupted: "Please be polite and call me Proud Defender, will you?"

The stallion blinked a few times in surprise. Why did everypony else refer to Proud Defender as the Lord General if he didn't like to be called that? It simply didn't make sense to the stallion. But before he could 'be polite,' Proud Defender spoke again: "I'm sure you've got lots of questions, young blood… I was like that when I first came to. How 'bout you take a walk with me?"

"Why, I wouldn't…" the stallion paused before he felt Skyrunner's hoof nudge into him again: "... say no?"

"Question or statement, new blood?" Proud Defender laughed as there was a roll of laughter throughout what seemed to be the entire inner-Wall, "Aw, I know what you mean! Hop to it!"

"Sure thing." The stallion responded.

"Just one thing before we start, it isn't proper to just be calling you new blood! Come on, I'm sure the others nudged you to pick a name the way here! So, what'll it be?"

The stallion stood in silence, as he struggled to speak. He wasn't expecting this to happen so soon, but he hadn't given the idea of a new name any thought. The stallion cleared his throat before he responded: "I-I haven't made myself a name."

The air seemed to chill as he said this, as the Lord General tapped his chin with the tip of his hoof before he offered a smile and announced outloud: "Well, you've been warned the punishment for failure to select a name yourself! But before that, we'll need to talk."


	4. Chapter 3

The stallion could only marvel at the scale as he started to ascend into the higher accessways within the wall of Grad, as he swore he had been walking upwards for nearly an hour. The stallion could tell that Proud Defender had been watching him for quite some time now, and he was convinced that this Lord General had been watching him even before they met back down at the gate. The stallion wasn't sure how to feel about that as he walked along, before the boisterous and loud voice erupted from behind him: "Quite a beauty, ain't she?"

"She?" The stallion asked by reflex, before connecting that Proud Defender was speaking about the wall.

"The wall, of course…" Proud Defender confirmed as he chuckled lightly, "you should've seen this place before I landed my hooves on these shores! Shabby defense and plenty of exposed flanks! Grad was nothing more than ruins and tents by the time I got here… decided I oughta build skyscrapers."

"You helped build Grad?"

"Before my second life? Aha, no clue mate…" Proud Defender chuckled as his mind seemed to be swept away in reminiscence.

"Second life?" The stallion questioned, "Does everyone here live a second life?"

"That's a negative, new blood. Y'see: there is a clear cut line between those whose minds have just been purged from their memories and those who had lived, died and now live again. I'm one of the latter: one who affirmatively died and now lives… and I'm wagering you're one of 'em too."

The stallion was immediately caught off-guard when Proud Defender said this, as he turned his curious eye to stare at the solid and sure stature that held the Lord General up. And Proud Defender knew he roused the stallion's interest as he chuckled lightly, "Now I've got your attention… let's talk.

"I figure at this point I'm much like you: I woke up out in the middle of nowhere but I found a strange attraction to the stars over Grad. I made my way here, and again found this place in shambles… I tell you, my mind was immediately put to action: and I found myself in possession of strange and unnatural powers. Things seemed to click where I could've sworn I didn't ever experience anything."

The Lord General eventually reached a set of heavy doors that were patrolled by two elaborately armoured guards: one unicorn and a pegasus. Proud Defender pressed open the doors as he allowed the stallion to walk through first. It was a dome with several banners dangling from twelve pillars as several displays of armour and countless shelves of curious items ranging from books to bucklers mounted them. There was a giant map that seemed to adjust with every angle that the stallion viewed it from in the centre of the room, which appeared to be an accurate scale model of Grad. Massive windows on opposing sides of the wall showed the outside world: an endless expanse of white snow… but on the other side was a marvelous city that seemed to span as far as the wastelands on the other side did. The stallion stared in awe to the city he had yet to experience.

"Sound familiar?" The Lord General finally asked, as the stallion returned to the situation.

"Y-yes…" the stallion responded, "it does."

"Let's see what is behind that eyepatch, and I want you to explain to me what you've done so far."

The stallion reached up with his hooves to reach for his eyepatch, as he managed to get a secure hold on it as he tore it off and flashing pain seemed to burn into his injured eye. He reflexively closed it as he used his other eye to look back up to the Lord General, and where he thought he would have seen Proud Defender's omnipresent smile: there was now a frown. The stallion felt his heart skip a beat once more as the Lord General slowly approached him, as he laid another demand: "Raise your hoof."

The stallion immediately obliged as Proud Defender glanced between the bottom of his hoof and his injured eye.

"I don't know what's stranger, mate…" Proud Defender mused, "that you have the stars on your hooves and on half your face, or that you aren't bothering to use your horn to untie your eyepatch."

The stallion immediately reached upward as he felt his hoof touch the iconic unicorn's horn he could have sworn wasn't there before. His expression immediately turned to dread as he sat down on the floor and trembled, he tried to think how to use his horn. He thought and thought, trying to verify it's existence… but to no avail. The stallion sat there in utter horror as Proud Defender blinked a few times but ultimately remained utterly silent. A few moments went by before the Lord General approached the stallion ever so slowly and carefully, as the stallion sat petrified in utter confusion and terror.

That was until Proud Defender rested a comforting though heavy hoof on the stallion's shaking shoulder. The stallion still couldn't bring himself to look up to the Lord General as few more silent moments passed.

"Don't be scared…" Proud Defender whispered, "believe it or not, I know what you're feeling… there is no shame in not knowing or not understanding something, but never-_never_-let that make you scared. We're going to need you to do what I'm certain are going to be legendary feats that'll never be forgotten...

"You're going to be a hero, I can see it now… you're going to be a legend! So chin up, Void…"

Void?

The stallion understood, as he looked back up to the Lord General who offered a hearty smile as he iconically chuckled once more: "That's it, isn't it? You're Void… Void Walker! Fits the stars and space you've got going for you, don't it? You're going to be walking and outlining the places from where we are, to where we need to go!"

It made sense to Void Walker.

"Come now, Void…" the Lord General said, "you'll need to be meeting a few of our friends if you'll be walking between stars anytime soon, and I've got just the pony in mind who'll be able to help you!"


End file.
